On letterhead of the Scientific Expeditionary Research Association, 50 Pall Mall, London. 1 June 1923.

£56.00

1p., 4to. In fair condition, on aged paper with wear to extremities. A twenty-three line letter discussing Council business, with the last paragraph reading: 'I have to thank you on behalf of the Council for the notes which you so kindly sent in for use at the last meeting. Mr. Hornell will do a certain amount of ethnological work, but in view of your opinion and that of others on the Council as to the difficulties involved, it is not proposed to appoint anyone else for this branch.' On the reverse of the letter are pencil notes by Seligman, made while reviewing a book.

1p., 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. He begins by noting that they have not corresponded for a while, and that he has 'been abroad most of my time for several years'. He is sending him 'a set of advance sheets of a little book I am to publish with Cassells at the end of September' ('Recollections of Rossetti'), 'because I have a very grateful memory of all the kind, appreciative and very able articles which you have written about other books of mine'.

Part of Autograph Letter Signed, 15 x 5cm, irregularly cut somewhat,' It preserves the last few lines of the letter on one side, and the two or three words ending ten lines on the other. Final words, "forgetfulness, I confess, trusting to see you here Friday any time between 8 & 11 P.M. I am Dear Sir | Always Yours, | Alex Munro".

[John Sergeant; David Maurice; the House of Commons; the Popish Plot, 1678-1681]

Publication details:

LONDON, Printed for Gabriel Kunholt, Book-Binder to His Highness Prince RUPERT; And are to be Sold at his Shop at the Kings-Head, over-against the Meuse. 1681.

£220.00

ESTC R24519. Wing S2572. 9pp., 2o. Paginated: [2] 1-7. 'THE | INFORMATIONS | OF | JOHN SERGEANT, | AND | DAVID MAURICE, | [last three lines gathered by right brace to] Gentlemen; | RELATING | TO THE | POPISHPLOT, | (Deliver'd by them upon their respective Oaths) | REPORTED | To the HOUSE of | COMMONS, | Upon Saturday the 26th Day of March, 1681. | Then Ordered by the Commons | IN | PARLIAMENT, | To be forthwith Printed. | [rule] | LONDON, | Printed for Gabriel Kunholt, Book-Binder to His | Highness Prince RUPERT; And are to be Sold at his Shop | at the Kings-Head, over-against the Meuse.

2pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. For further information about Williamson and his publications, see his entry in 'Who Was Who'; see also Marillier's entry in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.

Part One: [4] + 247pp., 4to (including introduction by 'M. K. [i.e. Mitchell Kennerley]'). Part Two: [3] + 220pp., 4to (paginated 249-468). Perforated bidding sheet at end of Part Two. Internally in good condition, on lightly-aged paper, in worn and stained wraps with loss at spines. Attractively designed, with numerous illustrations and facsimiles in text. The cover of the first volume carries the ownership signature of John A. Holland at the head, and the prices of the sale's 1482 lots are given in Holland's hand.

6pp., 4to. Paginated 1-7, with page 6 missing, and a strip at the bottom of page 5 torn away, resulting in the loss of five lines of text. The letter ends 'Our garden is coming along too slowly. | All best salaams,'. It lacks a signature, but comes from the Driberg papers, and it is presumably Driberg who removed what was probably part of the text which dealt with personal matters.

Robert Buchanan [Robert Williams Buchanan] (1841-1901), poet and novelist, born in Stoke-on-Trent

Publication details:

16 Langham Street, W., London. Undated; postmarked 13 March 1882.

£56.00

1p., 12mo. Good, on lightly-aged paper. In worn envelope, with stamp and postmark, addressed by Buchanan to 'J. T. Baron Esq | 18 Griffin Street | Witton | Blackburn | Lancashire'. Both letter and envelope have thick mourning borders, Buchanan's wife having died the previous November. The letter reads: 'Dear Sir, | The works you mention, with the exception of "Idyls of Invention," are just now out of print. The plays have never been pubd. | Thanking you for your kind expressions I am | Yrs truly | Robt Buchanan'.

4pp., 12mo. Bifolium. On aged paper, with chipping, slight loss to margin, and closed tears. The only words on the covers are 'official secret?' in large bold type up the leading edge of the front cover from the bottom right-hand corner, and 'that Isis article' down the leading edge from the top left-hand corner of the back cover. The article is reprinted across the two inner pages, with the slug and price at the foot of the second page.

3pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In stamped and postmarked envelope, addressed in the same hand to 'J. Y. [sic] Baron Esq. | 48, Griffin Street, | Tritton | Blackburn'. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper, in slightly discoloured envelope. It is not known who acted as Marston's amanuensis after the death of his sister Cicely in 1878: the present letter is written in a neat and somewhat childish hand. It dates from what had been an extremely trying year for Marston, with Rossetti dying the previous April, and the dying James Thomson being carried from Marston's rooms two months later.

An interesting collection of typographical ephemera. ONE: Landscape 8vo wood engraving, captioned 'This illustration, entitled "Psyche in Charon's Boat," was engraved on wood by William Morris from a design by Edward Burne-Jones and forms one of a series in illustration of the story of Cupid and Psyche in "The Earthly Paradise." It is proposed to issue one or two of these designs, which have never been published, though one of them formed the frontispiece to the "Note on the Kelmscott Press" by Mr. S. C. Cockerell.' In good condition, on lightly-aged paper.

John Westland Marston (1819-1890), poet and playwright, friend of Dickens and Dante Gabriel Rossetti [John Saunders (1811-1895), editor with Marston of the 'National Magazine'; Robert Cole]

Publication details:

November 1856.

£65.00

3pp., 12mo. Bifolium. The letterhead has been cut away from the first leaf, taking with it the number of the month, but not affecting the text; otherwise fair, on lightly-aged paper. Marston invites Cole to 'a pleasant little meeting of some of our friends and contributors at the Office': 'We are altogether a Bachelor Party and as free from formality as a set of Australian Bush Men or Gold-diggers'. Saunders has also written 'begging the pleasure' of Cole's company. He ends by sending his regards to Cole's daughter, whom he hopes has 'recovered from her cough'.

Both items in good condition, on lightly-aged paper. Both of them bifoliums with mourning borders; and both in their original envelopes, addressed by Marston, with stamp and postmarks. ONE: 4pp., 12mo. He begins by stating that he is gratified to find that his poems please Baron. 'The only novel I wrote, (it is more than 20 years ago) has I believe been long out of print. A comparatively short tale entitled "Family Credit" together with other sketches and essays (chiefly contributed to "Household Worlds' [sic] was published many years gone by Messr. Ward and Lock as the 1st.

8vo, 47 pp. In original grey printed wraps. With frontispiece portrait of Madvig and one plate. Good, in dusty wraps. Presentation copy, with card 'With the compliments of Dr B. A. Van Proosdij, Scientific Advisor to Messrs. Brill' loosely inserted. Divided into four parts: 'The Intellectual Background', 'Preparations and the Eve of the Day', 'The Dies Natalis' and 'Epilogue', with six appendices of passages from original sources, and a postscript of 'Four Letters from Madvig to Geel, Bake, and Cobet'.

One page. Dimensions of paper roughly eight inches by six and three-quarters. Trimmed but with no loss to text. Very good on aged paper. 'Received by me [Lady Anne Silvius] Of the Honourable Richard Hampden Esq; One of the Four Tellers of His Majesty's Receipt of Exchequer, the Sum of [Fifty pounds] in full of all former Directions, and for Three Months Annuity, due at [Xmas] last past, of [200] Pounds per Annum'. Signed 'Ann: Sylvius', and with the signature [slightly trimmed] of 'Eliz Jones'.

Poet and literary critic (1856-1930). One page, 12mo. Discoloured but very good. Folded once. One might almost think he was being sarcastic. 'The unflawed pleasure of my short visit to the Archdeaconry will never be effaced from my memory. Heartily I thank you all very much. | Most sincerely yrs | Mackenzie Bell | [autograph]'. Last word and square brackets Bell's.